Sir Keir Starmer could be called to give evidence to the grooming gangs inquiry.
The former prime minister, who ordered the probe last year, has been listed as a core participant for the inquiry’s hearings, which are due to begin in December.
This means he is among people, groups, and organisations formally granted special status by the chairwoman under public inquiry rules, giving him rights to participate in the investigation.
While this does not automatically mean he will be required to give evidence, many core participants are asked or compelled to do so.
Bradford among areas under scrutiny
The scandal-hit inquiry is looking at areas across Britain – including Birmingham, Bradford, Keighley, London, Oldham, and in Wales – where serious failures have been identified in the response to child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs.
The Government faced a stream of criticism over its handling of the probe.
Sir Keir initially resisted calls for a national inquiry last year after tech billionaire Elon Musk sparked a political row when he used his X social media platform to attack the then-prime minister over the long-running scandal.
Read More:
In the wake of the U-turn on ordering the inquiry, efforts to set up the body and start work were fraught with delays, resignations, and rows about its scope.
During his election campaign as he bid for the Labour leadership, Andy Burnham insisted he "acted immediately" on grooming gangs while he was mayor of Greater Manchester and criticised others for manipulating the facts.
(Image: Bradford Council)
Baroness Longfield appointed to lead inquiry
Baroness Anne Longfield is leading the grooming gangs inquiry, which will cost £65 million and run for three years.
Baroness Anne Longfield served as children's commissioner from 2015 to 2021 and founded the Centre for Young Lives think tank in 2024.
The inquiry will focus specifically on child sexual abuse committed by grooming gangs and examine offenders' backgrounds, including their ethnicity and religion.
Five women, including Bradford survivor Fiona Goddard, resigned from the inquiry's victim liaison panel during a dispute over the possible widening of its scope.